This invention relates to an improved apparatus for holding a road barrier panel tightly and erect in slots provided in opposed support posts.
Multi-lane roadways and rail lines are often a source of constant and undesirable noise due to traffic. To counteract the dispersion of noise from such roadways, various barrier constructions have been developed. For example, timber or wood barriers, metal barriers, concrete barriers and composite material barriers of one type or the other have been proposed and erected in an effort to counteract noise or to dampen the noise emanating from roadways.
A type of such barrier is comprised of spaced, steel H-beam support posts which are erected vertically in a concrete footing. The H-beam posts are spaced from one another by a modular distance. Slots defined by opposed flanges in the H-beam posts are aligned to receive the ends of elongated panels. The panels may be fabricated from precast concrete or a combination of precast concrete with sound adsorbent materials. The panels are assembled in the vertical H-beam posts by sliding each panel downward into the vertical slots defined by the flanges of the posts. Stacking of panels supported by the posts one on top of the other creates a barrier of a desired height. The panels, for example, may have dimensions of 3 feet in width by 12 feet in length by 7 inches in thickness and may be stacked in the manner described in layers of one to as many as eight panels high.
The particular construction described has been found to be highly useful, economical to manufacture and easy to assemble. Further, such a barrier construction has been found to be highly effective in reducing sound dispersion.
During the erection process, various devices have been proposed for maintaining the panels in place in the slots defined by the opposed H-beam posts. For example, anchor brackets have been used. In addition, wedges made from blocks of wood have been utilized.
While these methods for positioning the panels have been useful, they often require assembly techniques which are very time consuming and which may preclude easy disassembly of the walls. Thus, there has resulted a need to provide an improved device for erecting, aligning and maintaining panels of the type described when constructing a multi-panel barrier. The present invention contemplates such a development.